Disagreeing Better / Campus Events

Campus Events

KICK-OFF WEEK

Launch week for Disagreeing Better at CSB+SJU is September 16-19, 2024! There is something for everyone.

Monday, September 16:

2:30-4 p.m. (SJU, in front of Great Hall): All are welcome to enjoy Jupiter Moon Ice Cream Truck and lawn games. Meet someone new and find one thing you have in common!
5:30-7 p.m. (SJU, Quad 264): Students-only “Skills for Disagreeing Better” workshop offered by Dr. Carol Bruess. Dinner included. Register here. Limit 100.

Tuesday, September 17:

3:30-5 p.m. (CSB, Upper Gorecki): Community-wide “Skills for Disagreeing Better” workshop offered by Dr. Bill Doherty, co-founder of Braver Angels. Register here. Questions: [email protected]
5-6 p.m. (BAC Patio, CSB): Community-wide outdoor picnic with lawn games and fun conversation starters. Registration preferred but not required.
6-7:30 p.m. (Gorecki Family Theater, BAC, CSB): Community-wide viewing of the Braver Angels documentary Reuniting America (50 min) with post-viewing discussion led by Dr. Bill Doherty and Sandra Mitchell, CSB+SJU Senior Diversity Officer. (Free and open to all. No RSVP required.)
Today is National Voter Registration Day. Look for tabling on both campuses, and special guest appearance at CSB in the afternoon by Secretary of State Steve Simon!

Wednesday, September 18:

6-7:30 p.m. (Upper Gorecki, CSB): The first annual Bennie Johnnie Tommie Debate! Yes, University of St. Thomas students will make their way to our beautiful campuses and engage with Bennies and Johnnies in a Braver Angel style debate. Topic: “Is Cancel Culture Limiting Free Speech in America?“
Register to attend or be a speaker-participant here.
Debate:
- The Bennie/Johnnie/Tommie Debate is a cornerstone of our Disagreeing Better initiative, designed to bring students from CSB, SJU and the University of St. Thomas together in a unique discussion format.
- In today’s polarized political climate, this debate series — guided by the Braver Angels College Debates process — offers an alternative to traditional, adversarial debates. Instead of focusing on winning or losing, participants engage in a collective exploration of complex and often contentious topics. Through deep listening, critical thinking and respectful dialogue, students can better understand diverse perspectives and contribute to a more thoughtful and informed campus community. The series is an opportunity to practice the Benedictine value of listening with the ear of the heart while engaging with some of the most challenging issues facing our society today.
- Two fall semester debates have been scheduled:
  - Sept. 18, 2024, 6-7:30 p.m., Upper Gorecki, at the College of Saint Benedict
    Topic: “Is Cancel Culture Erasing Free Speech in America?”
  - Oct. 7, 2024, 6-7:30 p.m., at the University of St. Thomas. Topic: TBA

Thursday, September 19:

Keynote event, 7-8:30 p.m. (Steven B. Humphrey Theater, SJU): In collaboration with the McCarthy Lecture, all are welcome to attend an engaging evening featuring author and professor John Inazu in collaboration with The Theater of Public Policy improv-comedy group. Inazu is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis. He’ll dialogue with Tane Danger of the Theatre of Public Policy about his latest book Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect (2024), after which the TPP improv actors will delight us with their thoughts and reactions. It will be an evening of important discussions mixed with joy and much laughter. (Free and open to public. No RSVP required.)

WORKSHOPS

September:

Sept 16, 5:30-7 p.m. (SJU, QUAD 264): Skills for Disagreeing Better (students-only) workshop offered by Dr. Carol Bruess. Dinner included. Register here. Limit 100. Questions: [email protected]

September 17, 3:30-5 p.m. (CSB, Upper Gorecki): Skills for Disagreeing Better (all are welcome) led by Dr. Bill Doherty. Register here. Limit 100. Questions: [email protected]

October:

Skills for Disagreeing Better (all are welcome) DATE & LOCATION TBD

Depolarizing Within (all are welcome) DATE & LOCATION TBD

November: